Line pull assembly for a prosthetic delivery device

Abstract

A line pull assembly for a prosthetic delivery device includes a rail assembly defining a rail cavity, a longitudinal axis and a hand-gripable slider assembly. The slider is mounted to the rail assembly for sliding movement along it. The slider has a body slidably mounted to the rail assembly, the body having an inner body portion within the rail cavity. A line receiver for receiving a pullable line sits within the inner body portion. A release ring is mounted around the rail assembly and is operably connected to the inner body portion. The slider is locked against sliding movement until the release ring is moved the unlocked position. In the unlocked position, the inner body portion is slideably moveable by sliding movement of the release ring to transfer a pulling force through the line receiver.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A line pull assembly for a prosthetic delivery device, the line pull assembly comprising:
 a rail assembly defining an internal rail cavity and having a longitudinal axis; and 
 a first hand-gripable slider assembly, the first hand-gripable slider assembly mounted to the rail assembly for relative sliding movement with respect to the rail assembly along the longitudinal axis, the first hand-gripable slider assembly comprising:
 a body slidably mounted to the rail assembly, the body having an inner body portion within the rail cavity, the inner body portion comprising a line receiver disposed within the body and connected to the inner body, the line receiver receiving a pullable line; and 
 a release ring mounted around the rail assembly and operably connected to the inner body portion, the release ring slideably moveable with respect to the inner body portion along the longitudinal axis from a locked position to an unlocked position, 
 
 wherein, the first hand-gripable slider assembly is locked against sliding movement with respect to the rail assembly until the release ring is moved to the unlocked position and, 
 wherein, in the unlocked position, the inner body portion is slideably moveable with the line receiver by sliding movement of the release ring to pull the line receiver. 
 
     
     
       2. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the release ring comprises a hand-gripable external annular surface extending 360 degrees around an outer body portion of the body,
 whereby the release ring is hand-actuatable irrespective of its orientation about the longitudinal axis. 
 
     
     
       3. The assembly as claimed in  claim 1  comprising a first detent pair between the body and the release ring, the first detent pair arranged and constructed to hold the release ring in the locked position. 
     
     
       4. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 3  comprising a second detent pair between the body and the release ring, the second detent pair arranged and constructed to hold the release ring in the unlocked position. 
     
     
       5. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the first detent pair comprises a first detent projection and a first detent recess and the second detent pair comprises a second detent projection and a second detent recess. 
     
     
       6. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 2  comprising a locking assembly, the locking assembly comprising a pair of co-operating surfaces including a first surface and a second surface,
 wherein the first surface of the pair of co-operating surfaces is radially movable with respect to the longitudinal axis in the unlocked position so as to allow relative movement between the first surface and the second surface, and 
 wherein, in the locked position, the first and second surfaces are engaged in the locked position so as to limit relative axial movement. 
 
     
     
       7. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the first surface is on a flexible arm connected to either one of the first hand-gripable slider assembly and the rail assembly and the second surface is on the other of the first slider assembly and the rail assembly. 
     
     
       8. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 7  wherein at least one of the first and second surfaces of the pair of co-operating surfaces is radially moveable with respect to the other of the first and second surfaces so as to allow disengagement when the release ring is in the unlocked position. 
     
     
       9. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the locking assembly further comprises a third surface, the third surface on the flexible arm and facing radially outward with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       10. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 9  wherein, the locking assembly further comprises a proximal blocking face on the release ring and wherein, in the locked position, the third surface is blocked from radially outward movement by the proximal blocking face on the release ring, thereby limiting radial movement of at least one of the first and second surfaces with respect to the other of the first and second surfaces of the pair of co-operating surfaces. 
     
     
       11. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the flexible arm is attached to, or forms part of, the body and includes a necked portion. 
     
     
       12. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the flexible arm is attached to, or forms part of, the rail assembly. 
     
     
       13. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 1  comprising a second hand-gripable slider assembly, the second hand-gripable slider assembly mounted on the rail assembly adjacent to the first slider assembly such that relative sliding movement of the second slider assembly with respect to the rail assembly is blocked by the first hand-gripable slider assembly in an initial configuration, such that the second hand-gripable slider assembly is only slidable with respect to the rail assembly after the first hand-gripable slider assembly has been slid away from the second hand-gripable slider assembly. 
     
     
       14. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the second hand-gripable slider assembly comprises a distal blocking face, the distal blocking face arranged and constructed to prevent the release ring of the first hand grippable slider assembly slideably moving with respect to the inner body portion from the locked position to the unlocked position before the first hand-gripable slider assembly has been slid away from the second hand-gripable slider assembly. 
     
     
       15. An endovascular delivery device, for delivering an endograft, endovascular the delivery device comprising:
 a handle assembly at a distal end thereof; 
 a nose assembly at a proximal end thereof, 
 a guide wire catheter extending through the handle assembly, the guide wire catheter being affixed at a proximal end thereof to nose assembly; an endograft receiving portion extending distally with respect to the nose assembly; 
 a pullable line extending from the handle assembly to the endograft receiving portion; and 
 a line pull assembly, the assembly comprising:
 a rail assembly within the handle assembly defining an internal rail cavity and having a longitudinal axis; and 
 a first hand-gripable slider assembly, the first hand-gripablet slider assembly mounted to the rail assembly for relative sliding movement with respect to the rail assembly along the longitudinal axis, the first hand-gripablet slider assembly comprising:
 a body slidably mounted to the rail assembly, the body having an inner body portion within the rail cavity, the inner body portion comprising a line receiver disposed within the body and connected to the inner body portion and the pullable line; and 
 a release ring mounted around the rail assembly and operably connected to the inner body portion, the release ring slideably moveable with respect to the inner body portion along the longitudinal axis from a locked position to an unlocked position, 
 
 
 wherein, the first slider assembly is locked against sliding movement with respect to the rail assembly until the release ring is moved to the unlocked position and, 
 wherein, in the unlocked position, the inner body portion is slideably moveable with the line receiver by sliding movement of the release ring to pull the pullable line. 
 
     
     
       16. The endovascular delivery device as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the release ring comprises a hand-gripable external annular surface extending 360 degrees around an outer body portion,
 whereby the release ring is hand-actuatable irrespective of its orientation about the longitudinal axis. 
 
     
     
       17. The endovascular delivery device as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the pullable line is a wire. 
     
     
       18. The endovascular delivery device as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the pullable line comprises a reducing trigger wire having a proximal end for releasing diameter reducing ties in the endograft. 
     
     
       19. The line pull assembly as claimed in  claim 18  comprising a first detent pair between the body and the release ring, the first detent pair arranged and constructed to hold the release ring in the locked position. 
     
     
       20. An endovascular delivery device, for delivering an endograft, the endovascular delivery device comprising:
 a handle assembly at a distal end thereof; 
 a nose assembly at a proximal end thereof, 
 a guide wire catheter extending through the handle assembly, the guide wire catheter being affixed at a proximal end thereof to nose assembly; 
 an endograft receiving portion extending distally with respect to the nose assembly; 
 a pullable wire extending from the handle assembly to the endograft receiving portion; and 
 a wire pull assembly, the assembly comprising:
 a rail assembly within the handle assembly defining an internal rail cavity and having a longitudinal axis; and 
 a first hand-gripable slider assembly, the first hand-gripable slider assembly mounted to the rail assembly for relative sliding movement with respect to the rail assembly along the longitudinal axis, the first hand-gripable slider assembly comprising:
 a body slidably mounted to the rail assembly, the body having an inner body portion within the rail cavity, the inner body portion comprising a wire receiver disposed within the body and connected to the inner body portion and the pullable wire; and 
 a release ring comprising a hand-gripable external annular surface extending 360 degrees around an outer body portion, the release ring mounted around the rail assembly and operably connected to the inner body portion, the release ring slideably moveable with respect to the inner body portion along the longitudinal axis from a locked position to an unlocked position, 
 
 
 wherein, the first slider assembly is locked against sliding movement with respect to the rail assembly until the release ring is moved to the unlocked position and, 
 wherein, in the unlocked position, the inner body portion is slideably moveable with the wire receiver by sliding movement of the release ring to pull the pullable wire.